FPR Ford Falcon V8 Supercars Car of the Future prototype revealed

Ford Performance Racing (FPR) has revealed the livery of its ‘Car of the Future’ prototype that will be used in testing in the lead-up to the start of the overhauled 2013 V8 Supercars Championship.

The Ford Falcon-based racer will sport the manufacturer’s EcoBoost motorsport livery – spruiking the new engine technology available in the Falcon, Mondeo and upcoming Focus ST – and run the colour scheme of other Ford squads around the world, including those competing in the WRC and NASCAR.

The black, blue and white livery will feature on the factory team’s Car of the Future chassis during the testing phase before FPR’s 2013 design is revealed early next year.

Ford Australia motorsport chief Graham Barrie said the V8 Supercars Championship was a fitting way to promote the company’s new direct-injection, turbocharged powertrain technology.

“EcoBoost is the future of Ford’s engine technology globally so it makes sense that we use Car of the Future, the future of V8 Supercars, as our platform to promote it,” Barrie said.

“Ford Performance Racing’s first Falcon Car of the Future will carry the same EcoBoost livery that all of Ford Racing’s official teams around the globe have run throughout the month of August.”

FPR team principle Tim Edwards said the adoption of EcoBoost livery coincided with a new era for his team and the entire motorsport category.

“By running our test program in Ford’s EcoBoost motorsport colours we are not only showcasing our team and category to the world, but also showing we are an important part of Ford’s racing program,” Edwards said.

“It is also appropriate that we are running it on our Falcon at the same time road-going Falcons with EcoBoost engines are being produced just across the road from our workshop.”

The take-up of the four-cylinder Ford Falcon EcoBoost has been slow in Australia. Last month, Ford Australia admitted combined sales of the Falcon EcoBoost and LPG-powered Falcon EcoLPi made up only 21 per cent of total Falcon volume since the launch of the former in April.

While the FPR car will promote the new EcoBoost technology, performance fans will be relieved to know the connection only runs skin deep, with the race car to feature a 5.0-litre naturally aspirated iron block V8 engine producing roughly 475kW of power.

Why are they still running the bonnet hump? When they no longer make a vehicle with such hump!

GT

FPR is affiliated with FPV I guess… But true, where the hell is the XR8!!??

dookie

i have a bonnet hump on my gt?

Ben

That’s a fpv, for that point the commodores should be HSV’s….

Pedro

Ben you’re not seriously saying just because it has an FPV badge it’s not a Ford? Are you kidding me? I don’t care what FPV says, without Ford there is no FPV period! The hump exists and is needed on all supercharged Falcon V8’s (FPV’s for those in denial).

DoubleBlue

” Boring Ben” the bonnet hump is there cause it looks great. Dur maybe that’s why they left it there.! & all Falcon V8s from the factory come standard with THAT “bonnet hump”.

Quivive

What future?
Falcon is deader than disco.

Johnson

A future based on great technology like iron blocks.

Info

There’s a disco at my place every night.

Johnson

Seems my legitimate comments get deleted, maybe I need to spend much more time mercilessly ripping into car makers to be a valued contributor.

Andywcustom

I’m neither Ford or Holden hater but I’m soooo tired of seeing the same vehicle recycled year after year after year…

Shak

Then you must be sick to death of the entire BMW and Audi ranges.

Buckles

This is simply the Body for the COTF platform. A body will change when a new model is released from Ford. Wheel, roll cage and engineering are all the same in each chassis. This is to make it cheaper for other competitors to enter.

Legnab

Why am i so sleepy .

Captain Nemo®™

“Why am i so sleepy” because there are no customers in that grimy little pot shop. Plenty of time to snooze ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.

Legnab

Iam on holidays , too much booze , when i saw this i just went ho hum clipsal time in march again time to leave town, before the bogan invasion .

Marshall

Bogan invasion? So you admit to being a bogan Legnab? Take yourself to a V8 supercar event and take a look at the car park. You will find a lot of cars that you yourself love. You know why? Because some people just love motorsport. Plain and simple.

Legnab

Yes and i have met them, all yobbo’s in oz dino cars , eating junkfood , no wonder sales keep falling , we are all trying to avoid the tag , makes you laff, soon be fusions and malabores racing for the FWD cup .

Garrywhopper

Your sleepy cause you live in Adelaide and there is nothing to do

Guest

You’d be surprised at the crowds that like V8 supercars and classic muscle car events. In the paddock, you might just find a Porsche 718RS60 (the type driven by legends like Hans Hermann, Bonnier and others), the 845hp 935/78 and the 1987 Le Mans winning 962C along with other exotica like that.

Some people love motor racing and cars. They are the real automotive enthusiasts, unlike the keyboard warrior trolls that frequent some of these sites.

What other event could you hope to find such a broad range of cars at? If you love cars, it doesn’t get much better than that, except maybe Goodwood FoS which motor-racing heaven.

Although that’s surely on the Legnab boycott list because V8 Supercars have been known to participate in it, along with fans of said cars.

Dave S

I was trackside in march and most of the crowd was made up of families. The cars2 display was huge and many families and kids were loving it. Great event for people of all ages.

Get Down for a BJ

Don’t blame you, spending a weekend in Adelaide is like being in an episode of
“The Undatables”

Garrywhopper

Yeah I bet your holidaying with your inlaws in glenelg you great loser

Legnab

I am with in laws , together last week in munchen , saw some real cars in the BMW museum , not a crummer or falcoon in sight , wont be long and they will disappear from here .

Garrywhopper

Munchen Father in laws sausage in glenelg, you animal

Simon

Its drawing a pretty long bow to associate the eco-boost technologies with a normally aspirated large capacity lump like this. Very questionable targeting of demographic too..the type of people interesed in eco-boost (fleet buyers) are unlikely to be the same people who associate with V8 supercars. This might give a clue to why Ford is languishing in the sales race…lacklustre marketing initiatives?

Fairlane

What are you saying!Race cars are all about advertising,from energy drinks to steel manufactures,so what is wrong with Ford advertising there own products.

Give yourself an uppercut.

Simon

Advertising is all about target audience to be effective. Try and read a book for one in your life..try a marketing text book! Steel workers watch V8 Supercars, so do fat indolent sporting wannabees that drink sports drinks because it makes them feel good. Eco-boost customers…Ford could have spent its advertising dollars more effectively than this.

JooberJCW

Agree, an ecoboost campaign could be better converted if they advertised in an more environmental consciencious race, if they had a car in a solar car race, that would be more appropriate..

Mick

The 2.0L ecoboost makes sense in the Focus, but not in cars like the Falcon (or the Explorer in the US). The thing is, the current falcon i6 engine is better than the standard Ford V6, despite not having Direct Injection, updated block materials, Dual VCT. Just unfortunate Australia isn’t in the position to export due to unfair tariffs, high electricity costs, and high taxation.

Jase

Mick, the current falcon inline 6 does indeed have Dual Independant Variable Cam Timing (DI-VCT) and has done so since the release of the BF model.
(The BA inline 6 had D-VCT but both cams were “phased” together not independantly like the BF and FG’s now have)

Yes it still a ripper of a engine despite being older than grandpa’s axe. Story also has it that it also powered Noah’s Ark! LOL

Pete

Looks great!

JamesB

Yuck, same-again pushrod Windsor engine! They’re ironically advertising modern technology when the racecar has primitive powertrain. Bring on the Coyote!

Andrew M

The new rules have also made it possible for teams to move away from the previously standard engines.

There are reports some teams are developing Coyote engines for testing.
The Coyote engine will also be a cost saver.
DJR was the first I heard was developing a coyote engine